Don't Call Me Bella
by bubble bubble toil and trouble
Summary: In another reality a girl traded her life to save her family. And in her place was born another to our world, falling into a typical boring teenage life. So what do you do when a beautifully familiar boy shows up talking about a story that wants you back?
1. Chapter 1

**Don't Call Me Bella**

**Author's Note: Okay, so this is my new story... It's a little different (at least I think, I'm not really sure if anyone has anything similar up right now.) In a slightly more detailed summary - Bailey Caruthers is a seventeen year old girl in her senior year of high school living a completely normal life with her dysfunctional family, and a school screaming fan girls that she can't relate to. All she wants is to graduate and get out of her sleepy town and into college - every spare minute of her life is spent either praying that she'll be able to pull off a scholarship and cover her college tutition, or working to try and make it into a reality. But when a strange and irritatingly familiar boy shows up in her life insisting that she's a character in 'the apple book' that her friends are always trying to convince her to read, how can she get back to reality and get him to stop calling her 'Bella'? - Overkill? Shrug. Tell me what you think:**

"_You know what you have to do to save them." the kind voice said sweetly. "The law claims them, and this time, no one else can come to the rescue." _

_I felt the blood draining from my face as I watched the love of my life laughing from afar and my best friend rolling around on the grass with a beautiful little girl giggling atop his chest. MY little girl. The one I could never have fathomed existing. The one that never would. The pain snuck through the awe that clouded my mind._

_It seemed to sense the direction of my thoughts, adding hurriedly, "Of course, your young one will be safe. Your shifters have made no infringement on our laws, and it is clear that she belongs with them…" he drifted off hesitantly as if concerned by that fact._

"_Okay." I replied shakily, my voice barely audible. _

"_I'm sorry?" it asked politely thought it had heard perfectly clear. _

"_I'll do it… for them … for Edward and Jacob … for her…" I wasn't sure if the last word was heard, or if I had simply mouthed it but it seemed to be accepted. _

"_If you are sure." It mused. I could almost hear the smile in the voice, but I didn't care. How could I possibly care with my future crashing down on me before I had a chance to get to it?_

"_Well, pleasant dreams, dear Isabella." it whispered._

_And then the gray sky and the trees melted in with the grass, russet skin fading into the background with two bronze streaks blending into the mixture before the world went black. And I lost the battle I hadn't even been aware I was fighting. _

_And for once there was no chance of a happy ending. _

_* * *_

"Bailey." an impatient voice said, trying to get my attention. I had been ignoring it for about five minutes. Another few wouldn't hurt.

"I _know_ that you can hear me, Bailey."

_Really. Now can you tell that I'm ignoring you? _I thought, pressing my pencil against the Biology packet our science teacher had assigned the night before.

"Come on, Bailey, you can do your homework during lunch." She whined.

_No, I'm sure that you'll come up with something else that you 'absolutely MUST' talk to me about by then._

"BAILEY!"

"Shhh!" I looked up to see the librarian scolding my best friend Olivia as she pouted apologetically while ducking her head down to glare at me.

"Yes, Olivia?"

"Sheesh, I've been trying to get your attention for like twenty minutes!"

"We've only been here for five -." I started to correct her before she cut me off with another glare.

"Okay," I replied dropping my pencil to raise my hands in surrender. "You have my complete, and undivided attention."

"Thank you." Olivia sighed shaking her head. "Two things."

"Two?"

"You have an hour!" she protested.

"Not with you talking." I muttered.

"Hush up, Bailey. Thing one; have you considered reading that book that Rebecca, Jenny and I recommended?"

"No. No vampires." I rolled my eyes at her. She and my other two friends, Rebecca Stan and Jenny Web brought up 'the apple book' whenever they had a spare moment. The three of them - and the rest of the female population at our school were completely infatuated with it, always imagining spending the rest of their lives living in 'Forks' with Edmund and Jacob, and whoever else was in it.

"Oh come on, you read Anne Rice, _and_ Dracula - what did you think that those were, tulips?"

"Assignments that counted for twenty percent of my grade?" I questioned.

"But you'd LOVE it. It's the best thing that I've ever read, and I HATE reading!"

"So what does that really say about your opinion?" I teased, ducking as she swung a fist in the direction of my shoulder.

"Fine," she huffed. "But Jenny and Becky read all the time, and they love it too - Jenny went to see the movie with me - three times!"

"Becky?"

"… Becky didn't like the movie… but Becky's crazy anyway, it was awesome - PLEASE read it so that we can share this wonderful experience with you?!" she begged.

"Olivia, why do you need me to read it? You go on fan sites for hours to chat with other people about it, it's all that the three of you have been talking about for the last year - besides, I don't have time to read it."

"Like that stopped you from destroying two copies of _Wuthering Heights._"

"The difference being a classic piece of literature and no vampires." I replied sarcastically, pretending to be shocked. The truth was I didn't really have a problem with reading whatever book she was going crazy over, as much as I didn't understand the fascination with it all - I just had a few other more pressing things on my mind. Like college, and that evil little word, 'tuition', that insisted on going with it.

"You are completely narrow-minded." she accused with frown.

"No. I probably would read it if I didn't have to help my mom out so much by working two jobs while trying to keep my grades up for college."

"Please, you can get into any college you want at this point. Possibly the result of your not having a life. Besides, nothing from senior year counts."

"I have a life," I frowned, ignoring the second part of her statement.

"Having pizza with your best friends once a week, avoiding your dad and step mom, and hardly seeing your own mom does _not_count as a life." Olivia chasted.

"Thanks for the rehashing."

"It's true. Which brings to subject two…"

"Should I sit down for this?" I asked picking up my pencil again. If a _book_ topped her 'absolutely MUST' list, then whatever else it was couldn't be that important. I loved her dearly, but my best friend was a bit of a nut.

"Two words," Olivia grinned either not realizing that I was ignoring her, or simply not caring. "Michael. Norton. Likes. _You_."

I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks as I thought of the adorable blond boy who refused to leave me alone during math class. Also known as one of the most popular guys in school - I level of the hierarchy, that I didn't not reach.

"That's four words. And no he doesn't."

"Jenny heard from Larissa -." Olivia started.

"Who heard from Carol, who heard from Tiffany who heard from Michael's best friend after he told everyone." I finished shaking my head.

_Great, I am now the subject of another rumor that's going to make people I didn't know give me funny looks over something completely untrue that I can't control. Dandy. _

"Karen, not Tiffany." Olivia corrected. "I think... But hey, I know what you're thinking, so knock it off."

"Do you?"

"Yeah. You think that people are going to give you a hard time over something you think is silly, and you just don't want to deal with them."

"Get out of my head." I faked a smile, not looking up at her. I hated it when people thought that they knew everything I was thinking. Especially when they were right.

"Well I've only got one thing to say to you, peaches."

"Peaches?"

"You're the one being silly," Olivia continued ignoring my question. "Because you don't make time for people who want to be with you. Maybe Michael is the _one_." She lowered her voice slightly at the end, which I assumed was for dramatic effect because there was no possible way for her to see the librarian glowering at her from across the room.

"Olivia, you seriously believe in that stuff? Besides, it's not just that I don't have time to date. I'm not interested."

"Tell that to him." Olivia shrugged leaning back in her chair so that only two legs remained on the floor.

"I don't have to. It's not true." I muttered while wondering why I suddenly couldn't remember the laws of thermodynamics. I shouldn't have gone to bed so early and spent a few minutes finishing that chapter.

"Wanna bet?" She grinned waving over my shoulder.

I turned just in time to see that little blond puppy-dog I'd been avoiding since the first day I'd moved to Seattle. So of course, my instant reaction was to grin like an idiot and say, "Hi, Mike," through my teeth, earning a glare from Olivia.

"Hey, Bailey," he smiled back sitting in the chair between Olivia and me. "What's up?"

Okay, so he didn't sound upset. Maybe Olivia was just trying to trick me into saying something with the whole rumor-thing. Very un-Olivia-like behavior. Which meant that he might actually like me. Crap.

"Nothing much." I shrugged glancing back at my Biology packet. Olivia could care less if I did my homework when she was talking, but I wasn't sure whether or not Michael would be offended. Not that I should care if I didn't like him or really want much of anything to do with a lot of people he hung out with. But Olivia cared. And Jenny and Rebecca just plain obsessed. Diplomacy is a curse. Either way it wasn't going to get done now.

Olivia was still glaring, but Michael didn't seem to notice my temporary lapse in attention, going off about his basketball game last Friday and how the school team had quote on quote, "poned" their opponents. He went into a little more detail than that, but I wasn't really following all of the sports terms. I wasn't sure what it was about a ball flying at my head, but it had made me nervous since I was a little - almost like I was absolutely sure that I was going to hurt myself, if not someone else. I didn't tend to have a high participation score in Phys. Ed. because of it.

I smiled and tried to nod in the places were he sounded excited. Thankfully, Olivia understood most of what he was talking about and diverted the attention by asking questions about 'assists' and 'some idiot's floor violation' until the librarian got looked over at the three of and pointed fixtatedly at the clock, informing us that it was time to stop bothering her by making noise and to get out.

Mike and I had Math first though, unfortunately, and Olivia had French. So there was no one to distract puppy boy for the time being. It wasn't that I entirely disliked Mike, but after a while? The whole persitancy thing got old. And annoying.

And it was incredibly hard to be diplomatic so early in the morning when heading off to your least favorite class with other things like 'when am I going to finish my Biology homework' and 'I wonder if mom remembered to pay the electric bill this month' on your mind.

I gave Mike a quick smile, and tried to take long enough strides so that he didn't think I was running away from him (which, in a way, I guess I was doing), but moving quickly enough so that he got the message that I really didn't feel like talking right now.

He managed to keep up and supply enough conversation for both of us between my one word answers and his own babbling. When we got to the door I hurried over to my seat, dropping my dark green messenger bag to the ground, and then giving it a quick kick so that it slid under the desk and over people could get by. Mike walked over to his seat after giving me a satisfactory look, and started yapping off Ashley Monroe's ear. The school's queen bee seem elated by the attention that drove me insane. Good for her.

I slumped down in my seat, staring at the messy board waiting for class to start so that it could end, along with the rest of the day. I just hoped that I could managed the rest of my daylight hours without incident.

**I always have a bit of trouble trying to sound like Bella. So, yeah... Tell me what you think. **


	2. His Eyes

**I take forever to update. Wow. I do not own anything (especially the smattering of quotes I used) and here is Chapter 2;**

- Bailey -

I didn't start to hear the whispering until about ten minutes into my second class. Apparently there was a new kid in school. Not normally a big deal - we lived in Seattle, so it wasn't like you usually knew everyone you went to school with, but for some reason the new kid had been dubbed 'special'. From what I could tell for the high pitched giggles, and shushing from the girls, it was probably a boy. And a cute one at that. Which meant that Ashley Monroe was already planning her wedding, and the girls she picked on were unconsciously praying for their Cinderella moment. Nothing that concerned me.

Still it was kind of funny to watch the teachers try and quiet down the gigglers while they described him to their friends. Even funnier to listen to the descriptions they came up with, like, "tousled Adonis", and "sexy Greek god." It all sounded so scripted too, like they were getting these descriptions from some generic source. Señora Bates actually stopped trying to get things under control, instead choosing to sit and listen in on the conversations about the new wonder boy. And giving me plenty of time to finish my Bio homework before the lunch bell rang. In a way, I guess I owed him - if he got everyone this off topic, and I had more time to get my work done, more power to him.

The giggle feast continued down the halls on the way to lunch - even my friends were huddled close together, probably dissecting his every movement.

"Hey, Liv." I said sitting down next to her while Rebbecca and Jenny argued about what color his eyes were - gold, or turquoise.

I rolled my eyes, unrolling the top of the paper bag that held my lunch, and reaching in for the tuna sandwich.

"How long do you think they're going to obsess?" I asked her.

Olivia looked dead serious when she said, "Oh, I don't think that it's going to stop anytime soon. He looks just like -"

"I know!" Jenny squealed jumping in. "I couldn't believe it! That's _exactly_ how I pictured him!"

"OME! Me too!" Rebbecca grinned, appearing to let go of whatever they were arguing about for the moment.

They seemed just about as excited as the rest of the giggle-squad. I wondered just how 'hot' this guy was, to merit so much attention from the female population.

"Who?" I asked around a mouthful of tuna.

Three shocked sets of eyes turned to acknowledge me, horrified.

"You don't _know_?" Rebbecca demanded, raising her eye brows so high that they almost disappeared into her hairline.

I swallowed before opening my mouth to reply, but Olivia, the great friend that she was, was already defending me.

"She doesn't have any classes with him yet."

I tried again, but she was already continuing.

"Besides, she hasn't read the books yet." She finished with an eye roll.

That's my buddy Olivia. Always ready to stick up for you, and then make not reading one book seem like a crime against humanity.

"Blasphemy!" Jenny and Rebbecca exclaimed in unison.

Oh dear, God. This had to be about that stupid apple book again. They had never started talking like that until they read it. I should have just been smart, and chosen to eat in the art room today.

"The new kid." Olivia explained, taking a bite out of her pepperoni pizza.

"He looks just like EDWARD, FREAKING, CULLEN!" Jenny went back to her squealing.

That name shouldn't have meant anything to me - I'd certainly never heard it before. But when she said, I felt my heart slam against my ribs. I shook my head. Maybe they'd mentioned it, and I just didn't remember… but that still didn't explain…

"He has the same, gorgeous, tousled bronze hair," Olivia sighed melodramatically.

"That great build and pale skin…" Rebbecca grinned.

"And those _amazing, _golden eyes." Jenny rounded out the description.

"_Golden." _Rebbecca snorted under her breath before they all turned toward me.

I stared back at them blankly, wondering what they were waiting for as I raised the tuna to my lips again.

It never quite made it as Jenny reached around to slap my hand, and the sandwich fell back down onto my bag. "You're eating at a time like this?!"

I raised an eyebrow to her inquisitively.

"Edward. Cullen. _The hunk. _From _Twilight_'s twin could be anywhere in this school right now, and you can just sit here eating baloney?!" Rebbecca huffed.

"It's tuna." I muttered retrieving my sandwich. "The apple book? Seriously, guys?"

Rebbecca and Jenny continued to stare at me as if I had just grown out an extra head. Olivia shook her head. "She just doesn't know."

"So what? He looks kind of like the actor or something?" I asked, trying to redeem myself. Olivia would love me no matter what, but Rebbecca and Jenny? I was already treading on thin ice, this far in.

"Not at all." Jenny smiled, her eyes clouding over dreamily.

"So here's what you need to know," Rebbecca smiled coyly, as she passed on her "valuable" information on to me, the "interested" pupil.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. Main character in _Twilight -_"

"He's not technically the main character…" Olivia interrupted, trailing off as Rebbecca shot her a withering glare.

"He's the vampire who falls in love with the human girl, and then has to save her from all of the evil vampires who want to eat her, or don't want her to know their secrets." She continued. "And he's the most beautiful person on the planet. End of story."

_Not that that's egotistical, or anything. _I thought.

"Great. Now I don't have to read it."

"But that's not really the whole story," Olivia said, turning towards me. "That's just that his being hot and the book being in the first-person is all Becky, here, cares about."

Jenny and I laughed while Rebbecca pouted.

"There's this whole back story to it - he loves her, but his entire world doesn't want them to be together - plus, there's the whole temptation of her blood, and wanting it so badly, but wanting _her_more. And then my favorite character, Jacob, who love her too, and wants to save her from Edward - introducing the lovely love triangle of lovey-dovey-ness." She added, snickering at her own made up word.

"And you love classics, Bailey - each book is based off one, in a sense. Twilight, Pride and Prejudice." Jenny supplied.

"The second one is Romeo and Juliet." Rebbecca quit pouting, not wanting to be left out.

"Wuthering Heights - your favorite." Olivia wiggled her eyebrows as if that were a necessary tactic in convincing me.

"Oh, and then more Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream… and… I can never remember the last one." Rebbecca scowled.

"The Merchant of Venice." I murmured.

"_There, next to the feathered edge left by the torn page… Destroy this."_

I blinked, and looked up to catch Olivia's curious glance.

"Yeah, that's it!" Jenny was almost yelling, she and Rebbecca were too caught up in their discussion to notice anything

The rest of lunch was uneventful. I finished my tuna in peace while the fan girls, ranted and Olivia tossed me one more glance before the bell rang.

I stood quickly, tossing the paper bag before heading to Biology. Jenny and Rebbecca were skipping arm and arm, having decided that since "his eyes changed colors" anyway, that there was no need to argue about whether gold or turquoise was more prominent.

Olivia walked with me on the way to the science lab before blowing a kiss, and scurrying away to English. I waved back until she rounded the corner and then headed into the room.

Right away I knew something was off. There was no more squeaking accompanying the gossipers. In fact, the room was almost dead silent, every girl, and even a few of the guys had their chairs turned toward the figure hunched over at the table in the back of the room, massaging his temples. _My _table.

_So he must be the new kid, _I mused, walking over. _We must be lab partners now. Yippee. _

Ashley Monroe snorted as I walked by, tossing her hair, and turning to whisper something to one of her droids. Just what I need. _Her, _of all people on my case. I wish that I had the guts to turn around and tell her off - I didn't pick where the new kid sat!

Suddenly the new kid's head snapped up, and his eyes locked on me. I stopped in my tracks.

The room was blurring, and he was the only thing that stayed in focus.

"_Hostile…coal black…turquoise… the color of your eyes today. Curious. Gold…His eyes were green?" _

"Miss Caruthers? Find a seat please." I heard my Bio teacher's voice call from the front of the classroom and his pulled the door shut behind him, ignoring the class' snickers.

I found my legs moving toward him, and my seat, though I wasn't the one controlling them. I hopped up on the bar stool, still fighting the embarrassment and making sure not to make eye contact again.

I had no idea what had come over me in those few seconds. It had felt like something about his eyes was screaming at me to remember…

I shook my head. I was being ridiculous. He was a little -okay, a lot more than I had expected. No wonder all of the fan girls were freaking out. I just… slipped. Let's call it that. And that look he gave me didn't help any - brooding and mysterious until I walk in the room and suddenly… he's chagrined and curious… regretful… and something else that I couldn't pin down. Relieved?

No. He wasn't looking at me. I was just in his line of sight. And anyone's knees would melt at that kind of look.

I struggling with my inner monologue for a few more minutes before the desire to look back at him over took me. He was the new kid - he'd be used to staring by now, right? Just one quick peek…

Big mistake.

"_I peeked up at him one more time, and regretted it."_

He was looking right back at me, eyes hypnotic, refusing to let mine pull away. I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks, but I just couldn't stop no matter how much my brain urged me to.

_Come on, Bailey - you're making a fool out of yourself!_

It seemed once again like their was no one else in the room but us. Mr. Phillips was a no nonsense kind of guy, and demanded the attention of his students by threatening them with a pop quiz. For some reason, half the people already failing, chose - reluctantly - to pay attention rather than to gawk at the astonishingly beautiful new kid and his nerdy lab partner. No one noticed.

I tried harder to turn away, almost succeeding when I heard a low velvet sound wrap around my ear. It was a name.

I turned back to face him immediately. Blushing because I knew he wasn't speaking to me. He hadn't said 'Bailey', but…

"Bella?" I glanced around the room quickly looking for someone by that name, and finding no one. I turned back toward him to find that he was still staring at me. Expectantly this time.

_He's not talking to you, dummy! _

But the way he just kept staring - probably wondering if I had a brain - forced me to respond.

"It's Bailey." I managed to stutter out, cursing myself the whole time, before turning away quickly.

I wasn't sure if he actually spoke again, but I could have sworn I heard him say, "no it's not." I didn't turn back this time, focusing on staring at the board the rest of class, pretending I couldn't feel his gaze on me, and managing not to take in a single thing that the teacher was saying.

I jumped up again the second the bell rang, and somehow managed to trip over my own feet, barely catching myself of the edge of the table. Within an instant a cold, steel arm wrapped around my waist and was pulling me up gently.

I clutched the arm for a moment until I felt stable again. Edward was the one holding me up.

_Edward, who? You don't know his name!_

My eyes flew to the front of the room, where everyone was shuffling quickly out the classroom door. Oblivious to my mishap, and their golden boy's rescue.

"Bella."

I looked back at him. Sadness. Urgency. Still regret.

I ran out the door. Ignoring the name he called after me.

_Bella._

"_No. Not anymore." _

**Reviews make me happier than a bird with a French fry. **


	3. Bad Romance

**Hi! This is chapter three (sorry it's kind of short). Tell me what you think, please. Bye!**

**(I own nothing expect for the real Olivia. She says hi, as well.)**

_Don't think. Don't think._

"_Bella. Bella! Isabella Marie. Bella. ISABELLA! Bells? Bella? Bella…" _a concoction of voices echoed through my head all calling out that same name. The name _he _had called me. _Bella_. Not Bailey.

I pushed against the sound, trying to shake it out of my head. I didn't want to remember that. Remember what? I didn't want to think about it.

_Don't think, don't think, don't think, don't think. _I chanted as I sat in the car, waiting for Olivia to show up so we could go home.

As usual, she was running late, preferring to stay after History and flirt with the guy that sat next to her than to worry about me sitting in the car waiting for her. I wonder what she would think if I actually left without her one of these days… My hand floating over to the key sticking out of the ignition, and then pulled back. No, I couldn't do that.

I sighed in dismay. She was my best friend, and I loved her, but Olivia had chosen a bad day to do this to me. If anyone could make the noise in my head go away it would be her. She was my best friend, and I could tell her anything. I was confident about this. We'd talk about it, she'd dub the new guy weird, or just say it was mistake, and we'd both move on and forget about it. But I couldn't do that by myself.

_Bella. Bella. Bella. _

_DON'T THINK. _

"Does something smell funny?" Olivia asked climbing into the passenger seat as she assessed my face and sniffed the air.

I sighed in relief. I hadn't heard her open the door. "No." I muttered. "Just thinking." Or trying not to.

Olivia accepted this with a shrug. "Okay." She reached forward to fiddle with the radio, until some Top Forty song replaced my CD of Chopin's Nocturnes. I twisted the key, and checked my mirrors before backing out of the space slowly while she sang along to Lady Gaga in her sweet soprano.

I smiled lightly, focusing on the sound of my best friend's voice drowning out the artist's. Focusing on the words made the chorus in my head hush for a moment.

_I want your ugly_

_I want your disease_

_I want your everything _

_As long as it's __free_

_I want your love_

_Love-love-love_

_I want your love…_

"_I love you." _

"_You are my life now." _

I almost swerved off the road.

"Bailey!" Olivia shouted in surprise as I jerked the wheel back. A horn blared from the other side of the road.

I turned to face her, blinking. "I'm sorry." I apologized quickly, tightening my grip on the wheel.

"Are you alright?!" Olivia demanded. "Do want to pull over and let me drive? This is why you shouldn't study so much and get some sleep!"

"I'm fine, Liv." I assured her, turning my gaze back on the road.

But was I? This kind of thing had never happened to me before. I had studied for weeks to get my drivers license, being overzealous, my step-mother and friends said, in my caution. I had passed the test on the first try, and hadn't let anyone play the radio when I was driving for the first three months, so I wouldn't get distracted. It wasn't like me to daze off and almost get myself - and not to mention my best friend - killed.

Olivia seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Pull over." She ordered nodding to the breakdown lane on the side of the road.

I did as she said, putting my blinker on to turn.

Olivia hopped out of the car immediately, walking around to my side, and I opened the door reluctantly, climbing out after her. Lady Gaga's song was forgotten in the background.

I got back into the car buckling my seat-belt as Olivia pulled away. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?" she asked attempting to be calm.

I winced. "I'm sorry, Olivia. You're right. I just need to take a little break from all of the studying." I said attempting to cover up my distraction, hastily.

She didn't believe me, but filed that away for later. I could already see her using that against me to get me to come out with her and Rebecca and Jenny tonight. I sighed.

We drove in silence for a few more minutes before Olivia launched into a new line of attack. "So," she grinned. "I heard that you met the new kid in Biology. And that you're _lab partners_."

She said 'lab partners', the way some people would say 'lovers.' I flinched at the thought.

_Bella… _

"_Isn't it supposed to be like this? The glory of first love…" _

"So what did you think of him?" Olivia asked, grinning as she interrupted the velvet voice in my head.

"How do you even know that I talked to him?" I asked countering her question with one of my own.

"Ashley Monroe." Olivia giggled. "She was pissed that you got to sit next to him and she didn't, so she started to tell the whole school how you made a fool of yourself in front of him."

I groaned hiding my head in my hands. Why did she hate me so much? I hadn't done anything to her since I'd moved here…

Olivia just laughed again. "Let it go, Bailey. Everyone knows she's just jealous."

"Of what?"

"You," Olivia sighed dramatically. "Your beauty, your brains, your talent. Your effect on the male population in her little high school dominion. Your amazing best friend. Face it - she's had it out for you since the day you walked through those gum covered doors."

I looked up to roll my eyes at her.

"Oh, please you know it's true. Especially the best friend part. Now answer the question!"

I allowed that, sighing. "I don't know, Liv, we didn't really talk. But he was kind of strange. He made me anxious."

"_Anxious is a bit of an understatement." _

Olivia smiled turning to face me. "Anxious, how?"

I paused for a moment wondering how to answer her.

_Bella. _In class he'd called me 'Bella.' He'd said it again when he'd caught me. But there was something about that name that didn't feel right. There was something about HIM that didn't feel right.

"Umm… I think that he thought I was someone else. He kept calling me 'Bella,' and giving me this look, like I was supposed to know how that was." I blurted. "He acted like he knew me."

Olivia paused, turning to face me. "Really?"

I nodded, waiting for her rationalization to help me work through this weird feeling hanging over my head.

To my surprise she grinned. "It is so typical that the Edward Cullen look-alike shows up at our school and starts calling you 'Bella'! Don't tell Ashley Monroe, or she'll have a cow!" Olivia snickered. "Then again…"

"Don't!" I protested.

I wasn't entirely sure as to what she was talking about, but I didn't need the Queen Bee on my case again.

"So what is the significance of the whole 'Bella,' thing?" I demanded after another moment of Olivia's cackling.

"Apple book." she quoted me, still laughing.

I blinked. Again? _Really?_

"You asked." she shrugged putting the blinker on to turn into her driveway.

I waved to her mother, Mrs. Brandon who stood on the front porch, a fat yellow cat named Cynthia in her arms. She waved one of Cynthia's paws back at me while Olivia rolled her eyes.

"So, I'll call Jenny, and we'll pick you up around six thirty." Olivia said, collecting her backpack, and purse from the passenger side of the car.

She wasn't asking me. I nodded grudgingly, as I opened my door and climbed back into the driver's seat.

"Are you sure that you'll be okay?" Olivia asked hesitantly slinging her bag over her shoulder, referring to the highway incident.

I nodded. "I'll be fine."

She paused for another second glancing beyond me at the opposite window. I followed her gaze and saw nothing. I looked back and she was grinning again.

"You will be," she assured me. "And we are going to have so much fun tonight. See you at six thirty-two."

Okay then… that was oddly specific.

I nodded, shutting the door, and giving my friend one last wave before turning back onto the street and heading home.

**Olivia was very upset that I said she cackled. (Although she does, frequently.) She says that reviews would make her feel a little better. She even said please! :)**** (I am so proud.) **

**The next chapter *should* be up in a couple of weeks, if not sooner… no promises though, seeing how bad I am about updating. :}**


	4. The Girl in the Mirror

**Humm… Update in a couple of weeks…six months…close enough? Here's chapter four. Tell me what you think: **

Olivia and Jenny pulled up in front of the small house I shared with my mother at six thirty-two on the dot, just as I was putting the finishing touches on the English paper Mrs. Gordan had assigned last Tuesday. I tried to brush off Olivia's usual impeccable timing as a calculation of the distance between our respective houses, speed limits and how long it would take to pull Jenny away from her curling iron, but I still found it odd how she always seemed to known _when_ stuff was going to happen.

I had clicked the save button on my paper the exact moment the door bell rang, announcing their arrival, and powered down our ancient computer before heading out to greet them.

"Hey, Bailey," Olivia grinned brushing past me as I opened the door. "Almost ready?"

I blinked at her. "Yeah, I'm all set, but you know I can't stay out that late. I don't know when my mom's going to be home and I didn't exactly ask her if this was okay…"

I trailed off as Jenny bounced in and headed for the couch, turning on the TV and heading for E!

"I thought that we were going out?" I asked glancing between the two of them.

Jenny looked bored as Angelina Jolie's E! True Hollywood Story started rolling on the television. "We are going out." She replied. "As soon as Olivia is done dressing you up. That might take awhile, so I'll wait here."

"Olivia…"

"No, no!" Liv jumped, pulling me back towards my bedroom. "It will only take like, ten seconds, and we're just going out for pizza so it's not a lot!"

I rolled my eyes. I'd heard that before. "If it's only pizza then why do I have to change?" I asked gesturing to my plain old jeans, and admittedly _slightly _raggedy white sweater.

Olivia grinned. "Because Michael Norton is going to be there!"

"Yahoo." Jenny muttered from the other room.

Olivia ignored her. "I know you don't _think _that you're interested in him, but maybe if you know, dress up and have a good time together you might change your mind!"

I felt my eyes grow wide. "I thought that I was hanging out with you guys – girl's night!"

"Oh, you are," Olivia reassured me. "But as long as he's going to be there, I don't see why you can't just hang out with him for a little bit!" she turned away quickly before I had a chance to get in any further protests and dug through her massive purse, pulling out a pretty teal and black top and held it out to me.

"Put this on!" she ordered excitedly, shoving it into my hands and turning me back into the hall towards the bathroom while she rummaged for her makeup bag.

I stumbled across the gray threadbare carpet, glancing at the couch where Jenny sat, captivated by Angelina's early struggles before I turned into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

I flicked on the light over the sink and looked at my reflection in the mirror, taking in my dull brown eyes and pale face, framed by dark knotted hair that twisted loosely down my shoulders and over the old rumpled sweater. Okay, I guess I could kind of see what Olivia meant about dressing up. I always looked like this lately – tired and bedraggled. Not very exciting or inviting. Maybe it would be nice, to dress up and look nice just one night…to have fun.

I pulled the sweater over my head and let it fall to the icy tiled floor beneath my feet; replacing it with the silky t-shirt Olivia had brought. I looked back at the mirror as the last bit of silk slid smoothly over my stomach. It was very pretty – a deep v-neck that showcased enough of my ashen skin to be attractive but not so much as to be trampy. The black lace sleeves encasing my shoulder somehow made them look more elegant. Graceful, somehow.

Suddenly the girl in the mirror didn't look as bedraggled as before she looked a little more relaxed. Less tired. As if suddenly she felt special. And I did, I realized suddenly, twisting in the mirror to get a better look. I felt special wearing this shirt. As if somehow putting it one made me a different person.

I wondered if Olivia had somehow managed to incorporate mood-enhancers with clothing, and bent my nose suspiciously to the edge of one of my lace-clad shoulders. I sniffed carefully, and then gulped down another sip of the intoxicating fragrance that hung over the cloth. It smelled _incredible –_ like…like…

I scratched my head in frustration. It was so sweet and lingering, but I couldn't pin down the scent exactly. It must have been some new perfume Olivia had bought. I made a mental note to ask her if I borrow it some time. I bent my head down again, sucking in another whiff when suddenly the new kid's face flashed through my mind and I jumped back from the counter.

No. No, no, no. Not again.

Just then there was a quiet tap on the door, and I spun to face it. "Yeah?" I croaked.

"Bailey?" Olivia questioned from the other side of the door. "Are you ready? I just want to do something with your hair and maybe put on some lip gloss and then we can go."

I nodded, my heart still beating wildly from the image that had popped into my head just a moment ago, and then realizing that she couldn't see me added, "Okay."

I waited a few seconds until I could hear her arguing with Jenny about who Brad Pitt was better off with – Jen or Angelina before I turned back to the counter.

My reflection turned to face me with the same surprised look in her eyes, and I bowed my head to her, cupping my hands under the faucet beneath the mirror as tossed a few handfuls of water at my face, trying to convince myself that I hadn't just seen his face again. That he was just confused in class today, and that everything after that was the result of stress and a highly over-active imagination. By the time I looked back up, patting my face dry with a faded pink towel she still didn't look convinced.

I turned my back on the mirror and twisted the handle on the bathroom door, praying the night could only get better from here.

**The next chapter will be their night out…and judging from my inexplicable inability to update regularly, who knows when that will come. Hopefully soon (if you liked it). Tell me what you thought of this chapter please, and thank you for reading.**


	5. Mente Sulla Materia

**I'm trying to be good, so here is chapter five:**

_Bella_

_His face was everywhere when he was not so it seemed natural that the first moment I didn't expect to see him he'd be there right? That was the thought – the prayer that I carried with me into the blackness –that I could find the strength to cheat fate just one more time. That he would be able to find me and save the future I had given up to save him. And that he would understand why I had to betray him the way I did in doing so. _

Bailey:

Jenny chatted with Olivia animatedly on the drive to the pizza place and it seemed the Brangelina vs. Brad and Jen argument had been put aside for the moment.

I was happy to listen to their chatter from the back seat of Olivia's car. It kept my mind off of other things. It was a little before seven by the time we reached the infamous pizza place –

I translated those words in my head again, as I did every time I stood under it with Olivia, or Jenny, or Rebecca. _Mente Sulla Materia, _it read it large golden engraving over the painted green wood.

I knew what it meant – "Mind over matter" – but at the same time I had never understood it. Or what, exactly, it had to do with pizza.

The guy who owned the place – Signor Bernardo – would never tell me. I always got these funny looks whenever I asked, but he never said a word in return.

I could read the sign because my mother had taught me every bit of Italian she had managed to scrounge up during her younger years. She had been there once, said had told me. Trying to find herself and instead loosing herself in the rich and beautiful culture. She had wanted to stay there forever but had run out of money after a few months, returning starry-eyed to her home town where she met my father.

She always said that was one of the things she regretted most – giving up one fairytale for the one Grandma Jones expected her to live. (I think that she forgot, sometimes, who she was talking to when she mentioned how much she regretted marrying my dad.)

Anyway, she never forgot Italy – even after she returned home, and got married in Grandma Jones' backyard to my father. Even after she moved into a house of her home and got a job, and pregnant with me. All of those responsibilities never crushed her dream. She always had her head in the clouds, waiting for the chance to go back. My father had told me once that her dream probably crushed the responsibilities. (He forgets too…)

My mother had even wanted to name me after some friend she had back in Italy, but my father insisted that 'Bailey' was suitable. It was his granddad's name or something like that.

_Bella…beautiful, _a voice in the back of my mind whispered to me. The voice was not my own. I shook my head, trying to push it to the back of my mind.

"Bailey?" Jenny asked, sounding slightly concerned as she glanced back at me where I still stood, looking up dazed at the green and gold sign, lost in my own drifting thoughts.

I jumped back into reality, hurrying over to the door that she held open for me. Olivia was already at the counter by the time we got back inside, ordering a large pepperoni pizza to split between the four of us, and whoever else Jenny and Rebecca could convince to come over to flirt with them.

I followed Jenny to a large square-shaped booth in the back corner where Rebecca stood waving her over eagerly. The waving slowed down a little bit when she spotted me behind Jenny. I got the feeling that Rebecca wasn't my biggest fan on some days, while others she was completely normal. I wondered why she might not be so happy to see me tonight. She had seemed fine at lunch…

A flash of bronze hair zipped through my mind and I grimaced. Good grief.

I slid into the booth besides Jenny and Rebecca just as Olivia hopped over, slipping in on Rebecca's other side, across the table from me.

"Hey, Becky," she grinned, and then turned to Jenny and me. "Jen – sorry, they're all out of Mountain Dew – I got you Sprite instead. Bailey? Bernardo says hi."

I glanced back at the counter where Signor Bernardo smiled and waved at me quickly before turning back to the customer in front of him. Okay then. That was strangely out of his usual character. I wondered why he was so friendly all of the sudden…

That thought slipped out of my mind instantly as I noticed who the customer in front of him was. Michael Norton.

I slid down in my seat just a tiny bit, hoping that he wouldn't come over.

Olivia noticed this instantly and giggled at me, ignoring the dirty look I shot her. Jenny smiled too, but Rebecca looked a little less than amused.

"I'm not surprised," she said, looking kind of bored. "The most popular guy in school just isn't good enough for you, is it, Bailey?"

I blinked at her sudden hostility. "What?"

"I mean," Rebecca continued, sniffing slightly, "why settle for a guy like him who's obviously crazy about you when you could have the new kid and spite Ashley Monroe, and every other girl in school?"

I felt some of the blood drain out of my face at the mention of Ashley Monroe and the new kid. I really, really hoped that she didn't show up tonight to rub the unfortunate events of Biology in my face.

Olivia snorted. "Sour grapes much, Bec?"

Jenny pressed her hand to her lips to hide a smile, while Rebecca pouted.

"No! It's just that, I don't see how Bailey gets all of the guys when she won't give any of them the time of day!"

"Um, Rebecca?" I cleared my throat.

She turned her pout towards me.

"You're right. I'm really not interested in either of them, so you can have them, or whatever."

Her face softened a tiny bit at my discomfort. "Sorry about that, Bailey. I didn't mean it, I was just frustrated." She glanced longingly back at the counter, burning holes, I'm sure into Michael Norton's shoulder blades.

I nodded my forgiveness, following her gaze uneasily. Geez, I had had no idea that Rebecca liked Michael so much. Then again, with all of the time I had been spending at home studying, how could I? Olivia was right. I needed to get out more often.

Then Michael turned around suddenly, catching my eyes and smiling widely, and adding on a big wave for effect.

The heat returned to my cheeks, and I gave a small, quick wave in return and then turned apprehensively back towards Rebecca who scowled at the counter while Olivia patted her on the back sympathetically as he headed our way.

"Hey," Michael grinned standing in front of the table.

It was obvious that he was addressing me; oblivious to what I'm sure was my obvious discomfort. I wasn't very good at masking my emotions. My face was an open book.

"Hey," I muttered back.

Rebecca tossed her hair then, brightening and taking the reigns. "So, Mike," she grinned, care to join us?"

He glanced her way and smiled back, which made her brighten a little more. "Hi, Becky. Sure, don't mind if I do."

He slid in beside me and her face dimmed a little again.

"So," he said stretching his arms up into the air, and bringing them down slowly, the one closest to me, edging downward, dangerously near my shoulders. I scooted closer to Jenny, hoping that she would forgive the invasion of personal space. She didn't seem to mind, looking bemused by my not-so-subtle evasion. Michael didn't seem to notice at all. "What are you ladies up to?"

"Oh, we were just talking about Bailey, and how she's decided to take a new lease on life." Olivia smiled, ignoring the sharp looks Rebecca and I sent flying her way. Olivia is the kind of friend who loved you, but loved to see you squirm even more.

"Really." Michael said, turning to me with an interested look on his baby-face.

"Oh, yeah," Olivia continued. "She's going to stop worrying about school so much, and enjoy the rest of her senior year by hanging out and having _fun _with us."

She said the word 'fun' like it was a foreign concept to me.

Michael nodded intrigued. "Wow, Bailey. I'm glad that we'll be seeing you around more often. I'd hoped that we'd have the chance to get to be closer friends before the end of the year."

The double meaning in his words made me feel a little nauseous. I think I heard Rebecca actually gag.

"Yeah, me too." I muttered. "Um…Michael?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry, but would you mind letting me out for a minute?" I nodded towards the ladies room and he blushed.

"Sure," he stood immediately, letting me scoot out. "See you in a minute."

I inhaled gratefully, jumping out of the booth, and hurrying towards the bathroom, not sparing a glance back at the table and keeping my eyes trained on the floor. Maybe if I could just stay in there for a little while and give Rebecca a chance to capture his attention the night would be better for everyone.

Perhaps I was a little too eager to get away, because in my focus on hurrying towards the bathroom, I failed to notice the bright yellow plastic sign, on the floor a few feet away from my destination, warning everyone that the floor was –

I slipped.

Wet.

I noticed the sign on my way down, and grimaced, waiting for the floor to hit me.

Suddenly someone reached out and grabbed me, stopping my descent. Oh thank God. I looked up to thank my savior for saving me from the pain and embarrassment of falling and then suddenly wished that he had just let me fall.

It was him. The frighteningly beautiful boy who had been assigned to be my lab partner early today.

The one the voice had called Edward…

**Any comments, questions, concerns, or constructive criticism is very much appreciated. Thank you for reading. **


	6. I'll Put a Spell on You

**Hi! This is chapter 6. I do not own **_**Twilight**_**, but I hope that you like this chapter anyway. Tell me what you think (please?):**

My brain stopped functioning completely, and all I could manage for the next few moments was to continue staring at him, in utter surprise – probably looking like a fool and a complete Looney Toon. Not that it much mattered after the scene I had made in Biology. He probably had already gathered that I was nuts. After all, how many girls run away from you and suffer from paranoid delusions after you call them by the wrong name?

I shook my head slowly. I didn't really believe that. Something about that name…Bella…it had struck a cord. I just didn't know why…or what it could possibly mean. Ugh. Just thinking about it was giving me a headache. The blood rushing to my head from the suspended angle I was currently hanging in probably didn't help much either.

It would have been easier to just repress these thoughts…and feelings. Like bubbles popping up to the surface and smacking the inside of my chest painfully. They were mixed and confusing. I closed my eyes for a minute as I forced them back.

I could feel his hands, strong and firm sprawled out across the small of my back, fingers digging in and gripping the silk of my shirt to keep me steady. He met my dazed and confused look with a look of his own that spoke of part amusement and part anxiety. The registering of my face helped the amusement to dominate his expression as he reeled me back up slowly. "Are you alright?" he asked in a voice that was like…like…

_Velvet. Dark and smooth and low…It made the words into music, _the voice in my head supplied for me.

I winced. Shut up, I ordered.

"Pardon?" he asked, one perfect eyebrow arching in question.

"Oh, crap, I said that out loud." I said, once again not intending to voice my thoughts. I grimaced and he reflected the look back at me.

"I'm fine." I answered quickly, pressing my heels against the linoleum floor. "It's good to have my feet on the ground again."

The slightest flicker of a half sort of smile brushed across his face. "Let's try to keep them there." He murmured.

"Right," I nodded uncertainly. I wasn't usually this much of a klutz. There must have been something wrong with me today.

The barely withheld conversation fell flat as we stood there for a moment, his arms still around me, holding tight while I studied the intricate (read: frayed) work of my shoe-laces. This was awkward. Or at least, it should have been…standing in the back corner of the local pizza place away from everyone else with a guy you didn't know who was holding you past the acceptable amount of time for a stranger to hold you after a rescue. But it wasn't. I…liked it. The feeling of his arms around me, careful and strong…I didn't want him to let go.

The part of me that still retained some small fraction of sanity noted how ridiculous that was, and took back control.

"We didn't really get a chance to introduce ourselves back in class, hi, I'm Bailey Caruthers." I babbled quickly, stilling out my hand in the small space between our bodies all the while still staring intently at my shoes. I winced mentally at the flat, rushed words. Why, oh, why couldn't I ever keep my mouth shut? I took a step back, feeling my spine press more firmly against his fingers in doing so.

They seemed to break the spell for him as well, as his long, muscled arms pulled away and then fell limply at his sides.

"Bailey." He repeated his voice flat.

"Yep." I answered stupidly. "And you're new here, right? You're the one they think popped out of the apple book for them to worship in a physical form."

"What?"

_God! Get a hold of yourself! _"Right," I muttered nodding.

I needed new shoes. The rubber edge of my sneakers was peeling back on the left toe, the once white laces had been turned a brownish-gray mix by rain and mud and variations of slush, and the black fabric was starting to fade. But they were my favorites. I was shocked that Olivia had let me leave the house like this. I would have to hide these shoes from now on when she came over if I wanted to save them.

Suddenly an icy hand slid lightly brushing against my cheek and pulling up my chin. I met his eyes again.

"Bailey," he repeated my name smoothly.

For some reason it sounded artificial on his tongue. Not like…No. I wouldn't think of that name again. She…that wasn't me. It was just an honest mistake.

"I'm sorry." I muttered, not quite sure why I was apologizing. The muddled feelings in my chest stirred as he dropped my chin.

This time I held his gaze, watching the emotions that danced in his eyes. Sadness, hurt, anger and devotion? I named them are the twirled past me, the last two being the most confusing. Then again, why should he feel any of those things toward me?

That notion brought me back a little more and I raised my chin higher in defiance. "And you are?" I asked.

"Edward." He answered mimicking my defiance.

I felt a wave of horror rush over me. _Edward. _The same name that had come to me in the Biology lab. But this time it held a ring of familiarity. Edward. Where had I heard that name before? It hit me like a ton of bricks and made me swell with anger. That stupid book wouldn't leave me alone. When my friends weren't harassing me about it, this guy shows up and makes me feel like a complete basket case.

"Apple book. Nice. What's your real name?"

"Apple book?"

"You know what I mean."

A shadow of irritation crossed his face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't." I replied, smiling sardonically. "I bet that makes it more thrilling for the masses if you're just like him and pretend you don't know what they're talking about. It's a clever scheme – how long have you been planning it?"

I could feel annoyance, over-riding those other emotions bubbling beneath my chest. I was so annoyed that he was standing here, and looking at me like…like…I didn't even know what those emotions amounted to. But I was sure that I didn't want him to look at me like that. I didn't want to feel these bubbles, or remember anything else.

_Remember? _I questioned.

_It's not safe, _the voice whispered back.

His jaw tightened. "Bailey?"

"I haven't read them." I replied distantly. "So your efforts are wasted on me. Thanks for your help – I'll be going now."

I pulled back and stormed off, pushing in the red painted door that guarded the ladies' room. The room was empty, a row of three green stalls with chipped paint doors that swung open sat against the back wall across from a large mirror above another row of sinks. Paper towels and strips of toilet paper littered various parts of the tiled floor, but at least it was quiet.

I stood there for a second, breathing in the silence. Who knew that a public restroom could be so peaceful? I counted my breaths, waiting to come down from my irrational anger at the new kid and tried not to think.

_One._

_Two.._

_Three…_

_Four…._

_Five….._

The bathroom door was pushed in again, and whacked me in the butt. I jumped forward, surprised and embarrassed, and then turned around to see Edward right behind me.

"This is the girl's bathroom." I blurted, not sure what else to say.

"I'm aware." He replied sounding entirely unconcerned with that fact. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," I replied a little breathlessly as I felt a wave of heat rush up to my face. As if my little scene outside and the one in Biology didn't make look like enough of an idiot.

He sighed, running his fingers through the mess of tousled bronze hair that topped his head. "Bailey…I'm not sure what happened out there, or what I did to upset you, but…I apologize. I'm sorry." His eyes tilted upward under his lashes to meet mine, sincere with regret. And confusion.

My knees felt kind of like Jell-O, so I took a step back, leaning my elbows against the counter that supported the sinks to keep myself up right. "That's okay." I mumbled back at him. I had no idea what he was doing to me. No other person I had ever met had had this kind of affect on me.

"I would like to start over, if that's alright with you." He added taking another step towards me.

"Okay," I mumbled again then paused. "I'm sorry, too. For you know, acting so crazy."

Edward nodded his acceptance still coming closer. I found myself pressing myself further back against the counter as his approach continued, relentlessly. His mystifying eyes were on me looking dazed, as he said so quietly, almost to himself, "I don't know what went wrong…but I would like to fix it.

One foot apart. Half that. A third. Inches. Less.

"I would like us to be…friends." He whispered. His breath was so sweet that it lured me in. I stopped backing away and found myself leaning forward as he moved so that the space between us was barely recognizable as that.

"Friends?" I asked feeling kind of hazy, dazzled by him and this closeness.

His head tilted, and an almost smile flickered at the corners of his mouth. "Maybe." He answered as he leaned down, his lips hovering just barely above mine.

Then something broke the spell.

"I know! I can't believe it!" Rebecca said giggling as she and Jenny burst through the door.

I froze and my eyes traveled past the outline of Edward's shoulder, locking with those of my friends as they turned to face us.

"Oops." Rebecca giggled. Jenny's surprise melted into a smile of her own.

"We'll um, come back later." She said quickly, turning and pulling Rebecca out the door with her.

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that!" I called desperately back at them. The door swung shut in reply.

"Ugh." I muttered, hanging my head.

Great. Just great. This was what I got for coming out tonight. Rebecca was going to tell everyone about this and I would never live it down.

I slid quickly to the side before Edward could stop me, and moved to the side. Maybe some distance would prevent me from being enchanted again.

"Bell – Bailey?" he turned to me confused.

"I have to go." I answered. "I'll, um, so you later."

With that I fled from the restroom, and headed back to the table, hoping to convince Olivia to give me a ride home as soon as possible.

**Florence + the Machine is a very helpful writing tool. For me at least…anyway, thank you for reading, and please be sure to tell me what you think. **


	7. It Was Only a Dream

**Hi! This is an update! (I know – shocking. Sorry. School stinks.) **

_I rouse suddenly in the night, some sort of instinct jolting me awake, but warning me to keep my eyes closed. I can feel my lips parted, ever so slightly sucking in the sweet taste of honey and summer night air and my chest moving up and down, keeping up the illusion of sleep to the untrained eye. Edward's eyes were anything but untrained, but the temptation to fool him was too great for me to resist. I fight back the urge to smile._

_He move soundlessly but I can feel him as he draws nearer – away from the window and towards the bed, standing over me. His hand brushes down my side through the blanket and the other presses down to the mattress on my other side. I can feel his breath on my check – though technically he doesn't need to breathe. _

_A low chuckle escapes his mouth and I release that _I've _forgotten to. "You're a horrible actress, Bella." My eyes fly open and he smiles at me. "Breathe."_

_I obey sucking in a deep breath as he laughs again. _

_"Don't laugh at me. It's hard to fool a vampire," I protest in a whisper. _

_"I won't." he smiles – a bit too widely for my liking. _

_"You _are."

_"I'm sorry." Edward replies sincerely. "How can I make it up to you?" his thumb brushes across my cheek, tickling the edge of my lip. _

_I ponder for a second, trying to ignore the suggestive way the smooth pad of his finger keeps running across my bottom lip again and again. "Will you kiss me?"_

_Edward grins down at me. "As you wish," he replies, lowering his face to mine. _

"Edward," I hear myself mumble.

The name jars me from my sleep, and suddenly I'm sitting up in bed, my spine stiff and my hands clutching the cotton sheets, breathing heavily. It was him – the same boy who I met at school today, who caught me when I fell and almost kissed me in the ladies restroom staring in my dreams. And it was so real. It could have been real. My hand fumbles up toward my tingling lips. I can still taste something indescribably sweet mixed with ice. My heart is pounding – throwing punches at my ribcage.

"It was just a dream," I tell myself, my voice shaky. "Only a dream."

_Only a dream…_the voice echoes. I push it towards the back of my mind and throw my legs over the side of the bed, walking until my wrist hits the wall and brush my hand across it until I find the light switch and push it upwards, flooding the room in a dim yellowish light.

I glance around the room that I crawled into immediately after Olivia drove me back home. Apparently Rebecca and Jenny had already started to dish and Ashley Monroe had just walked through the front door, so she didn't fight me about it. I could always count on Olivia – she didn't say a single word the whole ride home, letting me do everything in my power to _not _think about Edward. It had worked pretty well – especially when she waved good-bye to me from the car while I was standing in my driveway and wished my luck on the History test on Monday that I hadn't studied for. I locked myself away and stayed up till eleven studying. It was the perfect distraction.

I glanced at the little outdated white alarm clock that sat atop a pile of Harry Potters. I'd only slept for two hours, but it was like the dream had sent a jolt of electricity humming through my body. It didn't matter at this point. I couldn't sleep now if I wanted to. I need another distraction. I glance at the History book that sits at the edge of my bed, but then shake my head. I've had enough memorizing for tonight. Two overdue library are perched on my dresser, but the library doesn't open until nine a.m. That won't be for eight hours. All of my other homework is already done…maybe if I had little midnight snack I'd be able to sleep a little better. I flick off the light again and grasp the doorknob, and pad barefoot down the hall towards the kitchen.

When I get to the end the light is on in the kitchen by the corner I'm about to round when I hear something. My mother humming as she goes about making her tea. She usually doesn't get home until about now, when I'm fast asleep. I pause, invisible in the shadows listening to the sweet, shaky sound of her voice and the clinking of her cup against the edge of the sink. It was the music I grew up with. My lullaby and my favorite song. It soothes me instantly.

"Bailey?" I hear her ask after a while. "Sweetie, is that you?" I glance up and see her standing before me, hand-painted mug with a big sunflower and the word 'mom' smear across it in one hand and a paper plate with a heap of salad and sprinkled chocolate chip cookies on it.

She smiles at me. "I thought that you would be in bed, baby. Did I wake you?"

"No, I, um…had a bad dream."

"Oh," she replies, looking concerned and searches for a free hand that doesn't exist to feel my forehead. "Are you sick? You always used to have nightmares right before you got sick."

"No, Mommy. I'm okay," I reassure her.

She glances at my face again but doesn't look convinced.

"I was a little stressed today. It's okay now, though."

"Well…alright." I watch her cross into the living room and set her meal on the wobbly side table next to a secondhand blue couch. "You want to watch T.V. with me for awhile, honey?"

My mother only watches Spanish soaps – the only thing on this late that we can barely make out between the two of us. A distraction. I nod and curl up next her and let her stroke my hair like she did when I was a little girl. We sit for a while taking in the story of a crazy woman fighting with her crazy mother and crazy half-sister in-between affairs with a tall guy who may-or-may-not be her long lost brother and the cabana boy. At least, I _think _that's what's happening.

My mother laughs suddenly at something I don't catch. I glance at the screen and see the woman yelling at the naïve receptionist at the hotel who has a crush on the cabana boy.

"What?" I asked.

"Isabella." She smiles nodding towards the receptionist who tucks a stand of hair behind her hear, trying to explain once again that the cabana boy isn't working today. "That's what I wanted to name you, after my friend in Italy. Bella."

_Bella. _


End file.
